The Italian government is increasingly turning away from the „closed ports“ immigration policy that the previous cabinet had run with Lega chief Matteo Salvini as interior minister. In Rome, for example, the cabinet decided to increase expenditure on the care of asylum seekers in Italy.
In 2018, when Salvini cut the cost of catering for asylum seekers from 35 to 25 euros per day, the Interior Ministry decided to increase public funds for refugees to 35 euros per day again. New orders are to be awarded to cooperatives that take care of the reception of migrants, as reported by the Italian media today.
Lega protest
The decision by the Ministry of the Interior sparked protests from the Lega. „After the government reopened the ports, it is now opening up the Italians‘ wallet by increasing public contributions for the preservation of asylum seekers,“ protested Salvini on Twitter. Many people in Italy would enrich themselves with meals for refugees. That feeds the illegal immigration business, said the Lega boss.
The Lega has been complaining of an increase in illegal immigration since Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s second government took office. The government without the Lega, which has been in office since September, has turned away from the „immigration policy of the closed ports“. 1,751 refugees have arrived in Italy since the beginning of 2020, compared to 202 in the same period in 2019.
